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Home , Balto, Gunnar Kaasen, Iditarod Trail, Leonhard Seppala, Mushing, Togo (dog)

The Story of 60-Minute History and Health Lesson Interactive Video Conference Grades: K-12 (or Balto fans of any age!)

TEACHER GUIDE

Balto: A History of Humans, , and Health in

Description Objectives

Why is this famous from Alaska found • Use a map to locate Alaska and measure at the Museum of Natural History? the distance between key stops in the Join our historians for this heroic tale of Serum Run. and mushers in Alaska, from the 1925 Serum • Compare and contrast conditions in Run to the Iditarod of today. Discover facts Alaska with those in Cleveland in the about the disease diphtheria, and why the 1920’s, and describe methods of outbreak in Nome, Alaska is so famous. transportation used in both areas • Experience how humans and huskies survive Identify the pathogen that causes diphtheria, and the difference between in harsh Arctic conditions today by trying on a vaccine and antitoxin authentic Iditarod gear! Uncover the • List ways that proper equipment can Cleveland connection to Balto and how he help dogs and humans exist in extreme has become the “spokesdog” for this unique cold event in Cleveland history. • Describe how cooperation and teamwork can complete an almost impossible job

Ohio’s Learning Standards Kindergarten: Geography – Spatial Thinking and Skills Grade 1 & 2: History – Historical Thinking and Skills Grade 3: Government – Civic Participation and Skills Grade 4: Economics – Production and Consumption Grade 5: Geography – Spatial Thinking and Skills Grade 6: Government – Civic Participation and Skills Grade 7: History – Historical Thinking and Skills Grade 8: Geography – Spatial Thinking and Skills

Produced by the Education Department of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History 1 Wade Oval Drive, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 - Updated 9/14/2017 National Health Education Standards Kindergarten – Grade 12: Standards 1 & 2 • Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health • Students will analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology and other factors on human health

Before Your Program & How to Set Up Your Room

• A kit of materials will be sent to your school for use during this program. Please allow a two- week lead time when booking and alert your school office about this delivery. • The kit materials will be explained during our connection. If you have room for a display table between your room monitor/screen and where the students will be seated, you can place the big blue bin there and we will invite the teacher to reveal various items throughout the program. • We’ve attached a detailed pamphlet about Balto to this guide for your reference; the kit will have color copies of this item for you to keep. • KIT CONTENTS • Big red snowsuit (what Alaskans use to stay alive when it’s -50°F) • Big snow boots (the kind you’d use in the Iditarod) • Big snow mittens • Serious snow face mask • 2 harnesses • 2 dog ‘booties’ • Cast of a dog skull • Current US Map • 1914 map of the (it didn’t become a state until 1959!) • Pamphlets about the 1925 Serum Run (you may keep these!) • UPS return label for sending the kit back to us

Vocabulary

antitoxin – a medicine containing antibodies produced by either an animal or human that has been exposed to a bacteria and the toxins (poisons) they produce. When used on a sick person, the antibodies bind to the toxins produced by these germs and stop them from harming the victim.

Produced by the Education Department of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History 1 Wade Oval Drive, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 - Updated 9/14/2017 cockpit - the small space where the pilot sits to fly a plane. dime museum – a small showplace specializing in the odd and unusual, charging a fee to view the items. diphtheria - an extremely contagious bacterial disease affecting the throat and lungs. Toxin, or poison, caused by the bacteria can lead to a thick coating in the nose, throat, or airway. This coating is usually fuzzy gray or black and can cause breathing problems and difficulty in swallowing.

Iditarod – annual dogsled race from Anchorage, in south central Alaska, to Nome on the western Bering Sea coast. Each team of 12 to 16 dogs and their musher cover over 1150 miles in 10 to 17 days. There are certain pieces of equipment each team must have: an arctic parka, a heavy sleeping bag, an ax, snowshoes, musher food, dog food and boots for each dog’s feet to protect against sharp ice. prospector – someone who explores an area for valuable mineral deposits. serum – fluid made from the blood of an animal inoculated for a specific disease. telegraph – a long-distance communication system that relied on a signal of short and long pulses (dots and dashes) transmitted over an electrical wire from one place to another. In the standard Morse code used, each letter of the alphabet had its own code signal. For example, the standard call for help was SOS: ***---***. Morse code was also used in signaling with flags, lights, etc. vaccine – medicine containing either weakened or dead bacteria or viruses. When given to a well person, it allows their immune system to protect them from the specific disease.

Vaudeville – a variety show featuring short performances of singers, jugglers, comedians and, sometimes, trained animals.

Extension Activities

• Find stories of other amazing animal rescues and famous dog adventures. • Investigate some of the other diseases that caused widespread problems in the past, such as smallpox, cholera, and malaria. Are they still problems today? Where? How are they prevented or treated? Are there any that have been eliminated worldwide? • Look up alternative modes of transportation used before modern mechanical means, such as automobiles and planes. Were they restricted to certain environments or geographic locations? • Find out about rescue dogs, seeing-eye dogs and service dogs. How they are trained and used to help people? • View the Universal Pictures animated film about Balto and list the differences between what happens in the cartoon and the true story.

Produced by the Education Department of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History 1 Wade Oval Drive, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 - Updated 9/14/2017

Online Resources for Teachers and Students

Click the link below to find additional online resources for teachers and students. These websites are recommended by our Museum Educators and provide additional content information and some fun, interactive activities to share with your class.

CMNH Educators regularly review these links for quality. Web addresses often change so please notify us if any links have issues.

Cleveland Museum of Natural History https://cmnh.org/edlinks

Some Common Questions We Are Asked About Balto and Alaska

Who are the two most famous mushers from the Serum Run? 1.) -- Born in in 1877. Came to Nome in 1900 during the . During the Serum Run, drove 170 miles (274 kilometers) from Nome to Shaktoolik, from January 27th to the 31st, on his planned run to Nulato to meet the antitoxin. In addition to his return trip of 91 miles (146 km), from Shaktoolik to Golovin, that represents a grand total of 261 miles (420 km) covered by his team. That was nearly five times the total distance covered by any other team. Died in 1967 at age 90. His ashes were scattered along the by his wife, Constance. 2.) -- Born in Norway in 1882 and came to Nome in 1904. His team ran the last 53 miles in the Serum Run. At one point, the wind was so fierce that his was blown over and the box of serum was lost in the snow. Kaasen amazingly found the box and brought it into Nome on Feb. 2, 1925, with the well-known quote about Balto: “Damn fine dog”. Kaasen retired from in 1950, and died in November 1960 in Everett, WA.

How did Balto get the name “Balto”? Balto was named after Samuel J. Balto who, along with first crossed the Ice Cap in 1888. He also held mining claims in Alaska.

When was Balto born, and when did he die? Balto was born in either 1919 or 1922 (there are no conclusive historical records) in Leonhard Seppala’s kennels in Nome. He died March 14, 1933, and was assisted in his last hours by Dr. R. R. Powell. His body was preserved by taxidermist Frank Tobin of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, where it is displayed today.

Produced by the Education Department of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History 1 Wade Oval Drive, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 - Updated 9/14/2017 How old was Balto during the Serum Run to Nome? Leonhard Seppala was once quoted as claiming that Balto was six years old at the time of the serum run, which would make Balto’s birthdate in 1919.

Did Balto ever have any puppies? No. He was neutered at 6 months because Seppala did not consider him worth breeding.

What other dogs were on Balto’s team? Seven dogs from Gunnar Kaasen’s team came to Cleveland with him. Their names were Balto, Fox, Billy, Tillie, Sye, Old Moctoc and Alaska Slim.

How far did Balto and Gunnar Kaasen’s team run? 53 miles. The entire Serum run from Nenana to Nome was 674 miles. With 20 mushers and their average of 13 dogs per team involved, there were over 200 dogs included in the rescue effort!

How long did it take for the teams to make the run? Less than 5 ½ days. That means they averaged a speed of 5 miles per hour.

Tell us more about the dog. Togo was the lead for Leonhard Seppala’s team: courageous and strong, obedient and possessing an exceptional ability to find the trail and sense danger. Seppala’s team had set out from Nome and traveled 150 miles to meet the relay and return with the serum. They then turned around and ran 91 more miles before handing off the serum to the next musher. Togo was 12 years old at that time! He was retired shortly after and died December 5th, 1929 at age 16. His body was mounted and is on display at Iditarod Trail Headquarters Museum in Wasilla, Alaska. His skeleton is stored at 's Peabody Museum of Natural History, Connecticut.

Produced by the Education Department of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History 1 Wade Oval Drive, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 - Updated 9/14/2017 Baltoand the Legacy of the Serum Run

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1 Wade Oval Drive, University Circle Cleveland, Ohio 44106 216.231.4600 800.317.9155 www.cmnh.org Nome, Alaska, appeared on the map during one of the world’s great gold rushes at the end of the 19th century. Located on the , the town’s population had swelled to 20,000 by 1900 after gold was discovered on beaches along the Bering Sea. By 1925, however, much of the gold was gone and scarcely 1,400 people were left in the remote northern outpost. Nome was icebound seven months of the year and the nearest railroad was more than 650 miles away, in the town of Nenana.

The radio telegraph was the most reliable means by which Nome could communicate with the rest of the world during the winter. Since Alaska was a U.S. territory, the government also maintained a route over which relays of dog teams carried mail from Anchorage to Nome. A one- way trip along this path, called the Iditarod Trail, took about a month. The “mushers” who traversed the trail were the best in Alaska. A Race for Life January 27 The serum arrived in Nenana by train, and the relay to the On January 20, 1925, a radio signal went out, carried for stricken city began. “Wild Bill” Shannon lashed the life- miles across the frozen tundra: saving cargo to his sled and set off westward. Except for the Nom e c alling... dogs’ panting and the swooshing of runners on the snow, No m e c alling... We have an there were no other sounds on the trail. The temperature outbr e a k of diphth eria... No ser u m...Urg e ntly ne e d was dropping fast. It was 30 degrees below zero when h elp...No m e c alling... Shannon started. Then it fell to minus 35 degrees...40 degrees...45 degrees...and finally minus 50 degrees in the No m e c alling... arctic darkness. Shannon rushed on, Nome’s only doctor had diagnosed cases of diphtheria, mindless of the cold, until he handed an extremely contagious disease affecting the throat and the serum over to Edgar Kalland in lungs. The native Inuits were particularly vulnerable to Tolovana, 52 miles from Nenana. this illness, as they had been to measles and the flu, both January 28 of which had wiped out entire villages. The frantic search for antitoxin began. Kalland, in turn, traveled 31 miles Seattl e c alling... before passing the serum to Dan calling... Fresh serum Green at Manley Hot Springs. avail abl e h er e... Air pl a ne Green took it to Fish Lake (28 miles), standing by to fly to Nome... averaging an astonishing nine miles an hour. From Green it passed to Johnny January 25 Folger (26 miles). He passed it on to Sam Joseph (34 miles), then to Titus Nikolai The long twilight of the arctic winter had settled over (24 miles) and Dave Corning (30 miles). Nome. Heavy snow had fallen and temperatures New snow fell and the wind picked dropped far below freezing. These weather up, creating whiteouts, but on and on the conditions were beyond what the airplanes of the mushers went: Harry Pitka (30 miles), Bill time, with their open cockpits, could handle. Anch orag e c alling... McCarty (28 miles) and Edgar Nollner (24 A nch orag e c alling... miles). Eskimo, Indian and white mushers 300,000 units of serum carried serum in the “Great Race of Mercy.” located in railway The relay teams were challenging the limits of h ospital h er e...Pack ag e endurance. The serum that passed from frozen can be shipped by train hands to frozen hands was itself frozen, despite to Ne n a n a... Pack ag e protective wrappings. Though thawed in one of the w ei ghs 20 p ou nds... shelters along the way, it froze solid again on the trail. Could serum be carried to Nome on Iditarod January 30 Trail by mail drivers and dog teams? At Galena, Edgar Nollner gave the serum to his newly married brother, George. The young Indian Yes! There were still some problems the chanted Athabascan love songs through the wilderness technology of the early 20th century couldn’t to keep warm in the minus 50 degree weather. On the solve. As they had for years, the settlers of Alaska 30-mile stretch he ran, Charlie Evans harnessed himself put their trust in courageous men and strong dogs. to the sled after two dogs froze on their feet. By the next day, three children in Nome had The serum was passed to Tommy Patsy (36 miles); died of diphtheria and more cases had been diagnosed. Jackscrew, the Koyukuk Indian (40 miles); Victor Time would make the difference between life and death Anagick (34 miles); and Myles Gonangnan (40 miles). for those who were ill. A relay of dog teams along the Both men and dogs used their bodies to break trail Iditarod Trail was quickly organized. through four-foot snowdrifts. January 31 February 1 At Shaktoolik, Henry Ivanoff had traveled a half-mile Through blinding snow and hurricane-force winds, the along the trail when his team darted after a . While vital serum was passed from Seppala to Charlie Olson (25 untangling the dogs, the Russian Eskimo spotted Leonhard miles) and then to Gunnar Kaasen. Had Kaasen had any Seppala, the greatest musher in the territory, and Togo, one of inkling of how wildly the storm would rage, he would not the territory’s greatest dogs, rushing down the trail. have chosen Balto to lead his team. Although Balto was Due to a breakdown in communication, Seppala and one of Seppala’s dogs, he was not thought of as a very good his famous Siberian huskies had set out from Nome, 150 leader. But Balto proved his mettle when he plunged into miles away, to meet the relay and return with the serum. the roaring blizzard, at one point halting to save driver and The serum was handedoff to Seppala, who set off on team from instant death in the Topkok River. the 91-mile journey to No one believed Kaasen would make it through the the next relay point. storm, so when he arrived at the safety shelter, 21 miles As the storm grew from Nome, he found the next driver asleep. The team was more vicious, Seppala running well, so they forged ahead. Their endurance was was faced with the tested even further when a sudden, fierce blast of decision of whether to wind lifted both sled and dogs into the air. While fighting to take a shortcut across right the sled and untangle the team, Kaasen’s heart sank — the frozen, dangerous the serum had disappeared! He frantically searched the snow or to go with his bare hands. Miraculously, he found the serum. around it. Gale-force winds hurled seawater February 2 over the ice, which Before daybreak on February 2, 1925, Balto led Gunnar threatened to break up Kaasen’s team into Nome. The town was saved! Exhausted at any moment. Forgetting their own safety, 20 and nearly frozen after the 53-mile run, Kaasen, Balto and Togo was a toughened drivers and sled-dog teams the rest of the mushing team became instant heroes across consummate lead sled faced the peril of the trail, each racing six to nine miles per hour. the United States. The 674-mile trip was made in 127½ dog: courageous and hours, considered by mushers to be a world record. strong, obedient and possessing an exceptional ability to find the trail and Forgotten Heroes sense danger. Each dog on a team has an important News accounts with glorified depictions of the “Serum Race” position, but it is the leader that must guide them onto impressed people across the United States. Only weeks after the safest route. Seppala was confident of his team and the feat, Hollywood producer Sol Lesser contacted Leonhard headed onto the ice. Togo unerringly led them across the Seppala and asked to lease Balto and the rest of the team. jagged, groaning floes to the safety of land. Just three Seppala welcomed the chance to rid himself of the hours later, the ice broke in Norton Sound. “newspaper dog,” as he called Balto. Lesser also hired Kaasen to work with the dogs in Los Angeles for 10 weeks. Lesser took Kaasen and the team to Mt. Rainier in state, where they starred in the short-subject film “Balto’s Race To Nome.” The two-reel film was released in June 1925. (Except for a few studio stills, no print of the film is known to exist today.)

Dog teams such as these huskies worked year-round and are credited with helping conquer the vast Alaskan Territory in the early 20th century. In work or sport, the driver commanded the team, but ultimately he depended upon the lead dog’s ability to find the safest route. During a dispute between Kaasen and Lesser over Balto Today unpaid wages, it was revealed that Lesser had purchased Balto’s mount remains a part of the Museum’s permanent the dogs from Seppala and sold them again. To make a collections, carefully protected and cared for by Museum living, Kaasen was forced to tour the country’s vaudeville curators. Balto is known and loved around the world, and circuit with the dogs for two years. But by 1927, the whirl preserving his legacy is a duty the Museum takes very seriously. of the Roaring ’20s and the hype of Leonhard Seppala’s Research for Balto-related articles and artifacts own sled dog promotions had overshadowed the “Heroes is ongoing. The Museum recounts the story in major of Alaska.” This would be the last time Kaasen worked exhibitions commemorating the serum run’s anniversary. with the team. He returned to Nome and the dogs were In 1996, the Museum began negotiating with the relegated to yet another indignity. Anchorage Museum of History and Art to ship Balto On a visit to Los Angeles, Cleveland businessman and related materials to Alaska for a special exhibition George Kimble discovered the dogs displayed in a “dime” in 1998 and ’99 that would coincide with the meeting of museum and noticed that they were ill and mistreated. the National Association for Interpretation in Anchorage He knew the famous story of Balto and was outraged at and the 26th Iditarod. seeing this degradation. He struck a deal with the dog’s In early 1998, as plans for the Balto exhibition at owner, Sam Houston, to buy them for $2,000 and bring the Anchorage museum were being finalized, a class them to Cleveland—but Kimble had only two weeks to of second- and third-grade students in Palmer, Alaska, raise the money. petitioned The Cleveland Museum of Natural History Now there was for Balto’s permanent return to their state. Eventually, another race: to the Alaska state legislature passed a resolution requesting save Balto. that the mount of the dog be returned. A Balto The Museum politely but firmly declined to return Fund was Balto, citing his importance as a symbol of Cleveland’s established. philanthropic tradition. After hearing Balto’s entire life Across the story, the schoolchildren decided that Cleveland was his nation, radio rightful home after all. broadcasts In October 1998, Balto’s mount left Cleveland for appealed for a five-month stay at the Anchorage Museum of History donations. Headlines in the Cleveland Plain Dealer told and Art—his first appearance in the state where he’d of the push to rescue the heroes. Cleveland’s response made his name in more than 70 years. was explosive. Schoolchildren collected coins in buckets; factory workers passed their hats; and hotels, stores and visitors donated what they could to the Balto Fund. The Western Reserve Kennel Club gave a much-needed financial boost. The people responded generously. In just 10 days the deadlines read, “City Smashes Over Top With Balto’s Fund! Huskies To Be Shipped From Coast at Once!” On March 19, 1927, Balto and six companions were brought to Cleveland and given a hero’s welcome in a triumphant parade through Public Square. The dogs were then taken to the Brookside Zoo (now the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo) to live out their lives in dignity. It was said that 15,000 people visited the dogs on their first day at the zoo.

Balto died on March 14, 1933, at the age of 14. A was erected in 1925 in ’s Central The husky’s body was mounted and is now housed at Park. It bears the words: Dedicated to the indomitable spirit of the sled dogs that relayed The Cleveland Museum of Natural History. antitoxin six hundred miles over rough ice, across treacherous waters, through arctic blizzards, from Nenana to the relief of stricken Nome in the winter of 1925. Endurance...Fidelity...Intelligence. Balto and his display case and pedestal were shipped via jet airplane in a special protective crate. A Museum staffer accompanied them every step of the way—even into the cargo hold of a freight airliner. The exhibition Balto Returns to Alaska drew more that 65,000 people to the Anchorage museum, including several thousand each weekend for special sled dog- related programs. Balto returned home in March 1999, again accompanied by a Museum curator. Though the fanfare wasn’t as grand as what the living Balto had enjoyed in 1927, many in Cleveland were glad to see their Alaskan goodwill ambassador arrive home safely. In March 2010, the Museum celebrated the 85th anniversary of the serum run and the bravery of Balto and the hero dogs of Alaska with a special exhibition. The Iditarod Today Alaska changed dramatically in the years following the serum run. The territory became the country’s 49th state in 1959 and modern conveniences reached the great northern wilderness. Cold weather no longer deterred aviation. Telephones and television provided instant communication, and the became the standard mode of winter transportation. The great era of the sled dog gradually came to an end. Some, however, believed dog sledding was an important part of Alaskan history, and that would never surpass the achievements of people and dogs working together. Among those individuals were Dorothy Page and , Sr. In 1973, they and other volunteers rallied to reopen the old Iditarod Trail, the mail route from Anchorage to Nome that had been used in the historic serum run. Today, the trail serves as the route for a race stretching 1,049 miles across two mountain ranges, through miles of frozen wilderness and along 200 miles of the Valley. Held annually in March, the Iditarod not only commemorates the 1925 serum run, it reflects the spirit of Alaska, the people who settled the territory and the dogs Gunnar Kaasen and Balto, c.1925 whose loyalty and endurance helped to conquer the Far North.